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Travel Diary: Wheels Up New Zealand

About the Author: David Huebner serves as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand.

After spending the morning further exploring Christchurch and its environs, Secretary Clinton has just departed to continue her Asia Pacific trip. Dr. McWaine and I are standing on the tarmac with Minister Brownlee, Mayor Parker, and other dignitaries as the Secretary's plane lifts off, happy that the Secretary was able to spend three days here in New Zealand, the longest stop on her journey.

She is now on her way west to Melbourne where she will join U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other officials for the annual AUSMIN ministerial meetings. Held regularly since 1985, AUSMIN is the principal forum for bilateral consultations between Australia and the United States.

The Secretary will then head home to Washington, with a final stop in American Samoa en route.

From all accounts the Secretary thoroughly enjoyed her time in Aotearoa. She commented frequently on the warmth and openness of our Kiwi friends. She was impressed with the natural beauty and vibrant culture of the country. And she was pleased with the steps being taken to deepen and expand what is already a deep, abiding, values-based, strategic, and mutually beneficial bilateral collaboration.

We wish the Secretary safe travels and look forward to seeing her again soon.

Ambassador Huebner's posting also appears on the U.S. Mission to New Zealand's website.Read more about the Secretary's travel to New Zealand, including her visits to Christchurch and Wellington.

Comments

Comments

Laura

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California, USA

November 6, 2010

Laura in California writes:

All the Hillary fans are following her ytravels around the world by internet.Dipnot, and the facebook SD is always behind in news about her; that's why there are more comments on diferent pro Hillary blogs than here!Coming here is not on time and is not enough info about her, either about behind the scenes with her! We want to see everything, her plane, her cabin, all about Hillary!